Beta: None.
Disclaimer: Bioware owns Mass Effect and all recognized characters.
Shepard paced impatiently outside the med-bay. Omega had screwed her over once again, but this time she wasn't the one who was hurt. No, that was something she could handle. Been there, done that, got the scars; fuck, she didn't even have the scars to prove that anymore. Fucking new skin.
No, this time, Omega had tried to take Garrus away from her.
Fighting through the slums to get to Mordin Solus, who was already becoming one of Kate's favorite people, had been exhilarating. And now she was thankful she had gotten to him first. Dr. Chakwas was brilliant, of course, but having two doctors never hurts. Especially when they're trying to save someone with injuries as severe as the ones Garrus had.
Having left Lawson and Taylor grumbling on the ship, Kate and Zaeed had taken the salarian with them to "join the Blue Suns." Getting to Archangel had been a fucking walk in the park. Discovering the bane of the gangs' existence was her best friend had lifted Kate's spirits more than she ever could have dreamed. But even automatically resuming the natural rhythm she and Garrus had developed during fights back in the day hadn't helped them in that last hellish assault by the Blue Suns. Garrus had gone down after that damn airship had fired a rocket at his face. The fact that he was even still alive was a miracle. If she thought about it, that she, Zaeed and Mordin had made it back relatively uninjured was a miracle in itself.
Kate spun on her heels as the door to the med-bay slid open. Her eyes widened in surprise as a heavily bandaged Garrus slowly walked towards her.
"Hey," she said with a small smile. "Glad to see ya back on your feet. Thought for a minute there I was gonna lose you."
"You can't get rid of me that easily, Kate," Garrus said with a weak laugh. "You and Massani make it back in one piece?"
"I got a couple of scrapes and bruises but I need new scars anyway," she said with a wink. "Zaeed cleared out as soon as we got you in to the med-bay. I think he was afraid I was gonna start throwing stuff, using him for target practice."
Garrus laughed again and clutched his ribs with a grimace. "Fuck. Don't make me laugh; not right now. Please. But that does sound like you. Anyway, I'm fit for duty whenever you need me."
Kate frowned slightly at the haunted look in the turian's eyes. "You sure you're OK, Garrus?"
He nodded. "Yeah, I'll be fine. Come by later and we'll talk."
"Alright. I'm glad you're here, Garrus. There are precious few I trust in this galaxy and I need every one of them with me in this fight."
"I'll always have your six, Kate," he said as he walked up the stairs towards the forward battery.
She smiled. "And I'll always have yours, big guy."